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18 S. Afr. J. on Hum. Rts. 309 (2002)
The Fourth Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture - Transformative Adjudication

handle is hein.journals/soafjhr18 and id is 311 raw text is: THE FOURTH BRAM FISCHER MEMORIAL LECTURE* TRANSFORMATIVE ADJUDICATION DIKGANG MOSENEKE** It falls on me to deliver the fourth Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture. At the outset, I wish to thank the Legal Resources Centre for keeping alive the memory of the treasured life of Bram Fischer. The invitation to deliver the Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture is a privilege. This invitation is as gracious as it is daunting. Unlike my illustrious and acclaimed predecessors, Mr Nelson Mandela', the first President of a democratic South Africa, the departed Chief Justice Ismail Mahomed2 and our present Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, 3 I was not privileged to know personally the excellence of Bram Fischer's legal advocacy, the steadfastness of his socio-political convictions, the warmth of his personal interactions and the integrity of his character. I blame my misfortune on my premature departure for Robben Island prison in 1963, a good three years before Bram Fischer was condemned to life imprisonment in March 1966. Mr Mandela delivered the first lecture in memory and honour of Bram Fischer a little beyond a year after the advent of freedom and non-racial democracy in South Africa. Mr Mandela paid, if not reverent, triumphant homage to 'a great advocate and a great patriot'. Whilst Mr Mandela had unending admiration and respect for his legal advocacy, it was Bram Fischer the 'great patriot' and 'comrade in the road to freedom' that Mr Mandela chose to eulogise. In the concluding remarks of the memorial lecture, he observed that: In any history written of our country two Afrikaner names will always be remembered. Happily, one is still with us, dear comrade Beyers Naude. The other is Bram Fischer. The people of South Africa will never forget him. He was among the first bright beacons that attracted millions of our young people to fervently believe in a non-racial democracy in our country. Bram Fischer was a remarkable person. His life was as accomplished as it * Delivered at the Nelson Mandela Civic Theatre, Johannesburg, 25 April 2002. ** Judge of the Pretoria High Court. 1 On 9 June 1995, Mr Mandela delivered the first memorial lecture at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg. 2 Chief Justice I Mahomed delivered the second memorial lecture on 3 February 1998 at the House of Assembly, Cape Town. 3 Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson delivered the third memorial lecture on 18 May 2000.

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